The Violinist
by Laylaenchantix101
Summary: Kagome was never really "normal". For one, she was a thief. Second, she had an instrument, a violin, which posseses odd powers. When she is dubbed Head Entertainer for Lord Naraku, ruler of the Demon Lands, strange things begin to happen, and Kagome is discovering more about a rebellion than she would like; of course, she's more involved in this than she would like to think. AU.
1. Prolouge

**Hello! As you can probably tell, this is my first Inuyasha fanfic, and my first fanfic of the year 2013.**

**I've had this idea for a while now, but now that I've finally managed to finish the anime (still need to watch the movies), I finally feel comfortable enough to post this. **

**I don't own Inuyasha, and I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

She was numb. She couldn't even feel the harsh sting of the falling rain anymore.

_**Today is the day of my death, **_she thought bitterly. She was no fool. She would die today, whether she liked it or not.

If she could just see it one more time…before she died…

It was still unbelievable. He was going to kill her. She was the only one who wasn't dead that knew the whereabouts of the Jewel. He wouldn't have killed her…

He must've been desperate to kill her so soon. He must've been confident that there would be someone else to discover the location.

There was a sudden explosion of pain on her left side. She fell to the ground with a soft cry.

He had found her.

"Why do you run when you know you're going to die?" a voice growled. The woman scowled, refusing to answer. The fact that she was bleeding to death helped her.

He grabbed her hair and yanked her head up so she was forced to look at him. She gritted her teeth. She could feel the blood oozing out of the wound he had inflicted on her, but there was no pain. No pain at all.

_**Is this what death feels like? No pain as your life slowly ebbs away?**_

"Tell me where it is, Kikyo," the man growled.

Kikyo gave him a sarcastic smile. "Why should I?"

The man's expression softened. "If you tell me," he whispered, "I'll let you live. I can get you to the castle right now. It's not too late to heal you."

Kikyo's smile turned bitter. "I will never show it to the likes of you."

The man scowled and yanked harder on her hair. "Wench," he growled. "Where is it? Where is the Jewel?"

"That, I do not know," Kikyo admitted. "Your only clue is hidden away from you."

"Then tell me where it is!"

Kikyo chuckled darkly. "Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to play it. It would reject you. Whoever you send, it will reject them. Either way, you will not find it. The person who will wield it after my death shall not tell you."

"Tell me where it is!"

Her vision was getting blurry. "Don't try to find it, Naraku."

She died laughing.

Naraku let out a howl of rage. He was ready to tear her body to shreds, but instead, his hands passed clean through her body. As he watched, her body turned transparent, finally disappearing, leaving nothing behind. The only sign that she had been there was her trail of blood.

Her body had probably materialized somewhere, to _it_. The object he could never find.

"Don't look for it, huh?" he muttered. He looked up at the sky, somehow feeling like she was now watching him, mocking him.

"I WILL FIND IT!" he roared. "I will find the next possessor, and I will have the Jewel!"

* * *

_Forty-Five Years Later_

The young girl, around the small age of ten, came running to the stream, panting. The villagers had almost caught her that time. She was beginning to get sloppy.

"Where is she?"

"Where's the brat?"

"Find her!"

_**I can't stop until I find a place to hide.**_

The girl splashed through the stream to the other side. There had to be someplace to hide.

_**Please, please, please…**_

The girl hopped out of the stream and started to race away. Wasn't there any place to hide? Or had her luck simply run out?

No. The girl thought of her mother and little brother. She couldn't abandon them. Not when they needed her most. She was going to make it out of here.

The girl tripped and landed on her knees. She winced in pain, but when she looked up, she found herself staring at the gaping mouth of a cave.

It was better than nothing. She quickly stood up and ran into the cave, letting the darkness swallow her up. Even so, she pressed herself against the wall and tried to slow down her breathing. They couldn't find her...

"Find her!"

"Kill her!"

Her heart was in her throat. _**Please don't see me...please don't see me...**_

The voices faded away, leaving the girl in utter silence. She let out a sigh of relief and took another step deeper into the cave...

...and fell flat on her face.

"Ow," she muttered. "That hurt." She picked herself up and turned to glare at the object that tripped her, but stopped.

It looked like an oddly shaped...bag? No, it wasn't a bag. The girl bent down and ran her hand over it. It felt leathery and smooth.

"Weird." The girl picked up the object, then gasped in surprise as it flew open.

_**What is this...?**_She gingerly picked up the thing that lay in the bag (No, not a bag. Maybe a case?) and ran her hands over it.

"An instrument..." she murmured. She had only seen one of these things before, and that was a long time ago. Her little brother had barely been born. The person who had played this had something similar...so what was this called?

_A violin._

Yes, this was a violin! Was that the instrument the woman played? It seemed bigger, but...

As she placed the violin on the floor, she inspected the black case. Turning it around, she saw gold lettering forming a single name: _Kikyo. _And as she watched, the letters slowly faded away, instead, forming another name: _Kagome._

Smiling slightly, Kagome picked up the instrument again. "I guess that makes you mine, then?"

* * *

**...it's not the best prolouge...but hopefully it will get better as the story goes on. :) **


	2. The Thief and the Advisor

**Alright! Three reviews for the first chapter!**

**I feel happy. :) Though I'm not exactly proud of this chapter, I hope you all will like it! **

**I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

_Five Years Later_

The day was dark and dismal. Dark clouds hung overhead, threatening rain at any moment. A few people were moving around, hurrying to get home.

Among these people was a girl. She moved quickly and quietly, wishing there were more people around. It was only a matter of time before—

"Hey! Stop that girl! Thief! Thief!"

Breaking into a run, the girl pulled the hood of her cloak lower onto her face, smiling slightly. She knew—they knew—that she wouldn't be caught.

Before her, the trees of the forest swayed with the wind. She could hear the rushing of a stream.

"Stop her! Stop her!"

Splashing through the stream, she continued to run the short distance to her hideout. Sending a quick glance over her shoulder, she was surprised to see that the vendor who she had stolen from was still after her. How persistant he was.

She felt the familiar chill as the darkness washed over her. Finally pulling down her hood, she watched the poor man look around, looking furious and baffled. After a few more minutes of searching, he finally gave up, storming back to the village.

"Finally," she muttered. "I thought he would never leave."

Reaching into her pocket, the girl frowned as she took in her stolen goods: an apple, a loaf of bread (still fresh), and some cheese, and with the stream nearby, she would be able to collect water.

Why couldn't that man have chased after her later? She could have been able to find something else to eat.

_How long can you keep running?_

Frowning, she looked up to the ceiling of the cave. "As long as I have to," she said out loud. "Can't you ever leave me alone?"

There was no answer.

Stupid voice. She wished she could just get rid of it. But how could you get rid of a voice in your head?

When she first heard it, when she was ten, she wasn't so scared. She had seen several things that most people her age hadn't, and she always figured that she would end up insane.

Gathering her items, she left the safety of the cave and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head again. Grinning from ear-to-ear, she made her way back into the village, knowing full well who would be happy to see her.

* * *

"Boo!"

Yelping in surprise, a small boy around the age of nine or ten jumped from the place where he was sitting and spun around, coming face-to-face with the laughing face of a girl.

"That wasn't funny, Kagome!" he ground out.

Kagome Higurashi continued to laugh as she ruffled the boy's hair. "Don't be so jumpy, Sota. It's not like anyone's going to attack you. No one ever comes around here." She flicked his forehead teasingly. "How did you ever get to be my brother?"

The little boy suddenly frowned. "You were gone for a while. Mama's about to go back into town and look for you."

The girl's eyes widened. "She can't! Where is she?"

"Right here."

The two turned around towards the source of the voice. A woman stood before them, a mixture of relief and mild anger on her face.

"Mama! I'm glad you didn't go looking for me." Kagome ran over to the woman and gave her a large hug. "You know how dangerous that is."

"You were gone for a long time," her mother told her, sounding tired. "I was worried. I don't want to sit back while my daughter is running away from an angry mob."

Kagome gave her mother a smile. "Don't worry, Mama," she assured her. "They could never catch me." Turning her attention to Sota, she gave him a grin. "Guess what I got for you?" Reaching into her pocket, she tossed the apple in the air and watched as her brother snatched it.

"You remembered." He smiled up at her. "Thanks, Sis."

"Don't worry about it," she told him. "It's my pleasure." Pulling out the bread, cheese, and the water she had collected on her way home, she offered some to her mother.

"I'm not hungry," her mother told her, sounding kind of stern.

Knowing that tone, Kagome tore some of the bread off and offered it to her little brother. "Go give that to Gramps. He needs something to eat more than any of us do."

Nodding, Sota ran off. Once the little boy was out of earshot, Kagome turned to the older woman. "What is it?"

"Kagome..." her mother began. "I don't want to constantly worry about my daughter being chased by the villagers. You know what will happen if they catch you."

The girl nodded sharply. Yes, the villagers had every right to kill her.

"I...I want this to stop."

Kagome whipped her head to stare at her mother in disbelief. "Mama...we barely have enough money to buy a piece of moldy cheese. We need to save up as much as we can so we can get Gramps to a healer...maybe even a priestess, if we're lucky. I have no intention of letting us starve to death until then. The best we can do right now is to at least try and fill our stomachs the best we can."

"But _stealing _isn't the way to go," the older woman argued. "You can't run forever, Kagome. I don't know how you do it, but you're somehow lucky enough to escape the clutches of the villagers. And if there's ever a demon around..."

The girl nodded slowly. "I know what I'm doing," she told her mother. "I can move fast enough to avoid a demon, even if it's for a short amount of time. And I can roll around in muck to disguise my scent. I'm perfectly safe."

"For now. Kagome, they'll catch you eventually. And they will kill you. And I don't know what we'll do without you..."

"I'll teach Sota," Kagome said, although she sounded somewhat hesitant. Her brother always insisted that he should be taught to steal, too, in order to help his older sister in getting food, but she always refused. She didn't want her little brother getting caught up in something so...dangerous. Of course, she wasn't one to talk.

"Absolutely not," her mother said immedietly. "This has to stop, Kagome."

"I've been doing this for years! And only now you say something?" Kagome argued. "What do you want me to do?"

Her mother looked down. "Live honestly. Earn money to support us."

There was a long silence. The girl blinked, looking completely baffled at the thought, before she grunted in responce, standing up. "No one would pay someone like me."

"Kagme, please, just think about it," the older woman pleaded. "I'm sure there's something...anything you can do."

The girl stiffened, looking panicked for a brief second, before she relaxed again and started to walk away. "Nope. Not that I can think of."

"Where are you going?"

"To the forest. I need to clear my head." Giving her mother a sad look, she added, "Enjoy the food," before she jogged off.

Something she could do. Of course there was...she just wasn't sure if she was allowed to do it.

Finally reaching the forest, she splashed through the stream for a second time that day. Shivering slightly, she waded through it before making it to the other side.

_Retrieve it._

Kagome didn't need to be told twice what to do.

Making her way back to the cave, she glanced over her shoulder several times to be sure she wasn't being followed. Of course, she never usually was, but one could never be too careful. Once inside, she relaxed slightly, before going to the back of the cave and picking up a black leather case.

_Walk out of the cave and move somewhere where you're sure no one will hear._

Making her way out of the cave, Kagome hugged the case to her chest and ran farther into the trees. She had been doing this for five years now. She knew exactly where she was going.

A small clearing in the woods, not far from the cave, had been her thinking place for years. It was filled with flowers, and a sweet smell lingered in the air. Gripping the case tighter, she picked up her pace, pausing from time to time to look over her shoulder.

_No one is following you._

"I need to be sure," Kagome muttered, already knowing it would be useless. It was difficult to argue with a voice in her head.

Finally entering the clearing, Kagome glanced around. Would it be...?

_Open it._

Giving a small smile of satisfaction, Kagome set down the case gently and opened it. She had been waiting all day for this.

Inside the case was a small violin. She picked it up and carefully placed it on her shoulder, grabbing the bow and standing up slowly.

_Begin._

Bringing the bow across the strings, Kagome closed her eyes as a long, mournful tune came from the instrument. She smiled sadly, thinking of her family as the tune continued.

Moving in a slow circle, Kagome continued to move the bow, hearing the tune create a small song.

_"I...I want this to stop," _her mother's voice said.

Turning in another circle, her mind traveled to Sota. Her little brother. She helped her mother raise him, become the boy he was. She cared about him deeply, and her being a thief was setting a bad example. Kagome wanted what was best for Sota. What older sister didn't feel at least a little bit overprotective?

And her grandpa...she didn't even want to think about it. He was growing weaker, but he was still the same Gramps she remembered.

They had no money, and no real house. Just a small abandoned shrine. It wasn't a bad place to live...Kagome just wished that there was some way they could live better lives.

_"Earn money to support us."_

What could _she_ do? She wouldn't even be hired as a maid. No...no, there was something she could do. But...

_Are you willing to take the risk?_

Many people would consider talking with a voice inside your head insane. People would think she was crazy. _Kagome _thought she was crazy. But still...this voice had taught her to play the object in her hands. Over the years, she had come to appreciate the voice. It always seemed to know what it was doing, even when she didn't.

**_Kagome means birdcage,_ **she thought, smiling bitterly. Yes, that was what it seemed. She was a caged bird, waiting to be set free.

The song she played would be known as her song. The Song of the Caged Bird. But if she were to be free...

"Yes."

_Then I shall lead you to a place where you shall be able to play. _

Play.

Play the violin.

Yes, she would be able to play the violin. She could live honestly...she might not even have to steal anymore. At least, not until she had enough money to send to her family.

She wouldn't have to be caged. Not anymore.

Playing the final note, she stood there for a moment, the violin on her shoulder.

_Leave. Someone is approaching. _

Panicking, Kagome quickly placed the violin back in its case and clutched it to her chest again, making her way out of the clearing. She would need to spend a few hours in the cave, just to be safe.

With a thief, you were never too careful.

* * *

Cold gold eyes looked over the clearing. The smell of flowers was thick in the air, and it overpowered his nose. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was a little too strong for his taste.

It may have been strong, but not enough for him to tell that someone had been here. And whoever it was had left in a hurry.

"What are you doing?" a woman's voice asked, sounding rather bored. "I thought our job was to finish off that snake demon and leave."

"There's a stream nearby." He looked at the woman over his shoulder, who was idly opening and closing her fans. "I wanted to wash off the blood."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you care about the blood on your claws?"

For a split second, a spark of rage seemed to flit across his face before he went back to being completely expressionless. "It smelled bad. The demon reeked already, and it's even worse with the stench of death."

"I won't argue with you there," the woman agreed. "But can you hurry up? I just want to get back to the palace."

"Since when are you eager to get back to the palace, Kagura?" he inquired.

"Never. But I can tell you, I don't want to be at the end of his rage again. I still have the scars."

There was no question of who 'he' was. Everyone knew him. Everyone had spoke of him.

Everyone feared him.

The man looked away from the woman and sniffed the air again, trying not to gag at the overpowering stench of flowers.

Someone had definetly been here. He had been curious of the sounds he heard and made his way here. Whoever was here couldn't have possibly known he was coming, and if they had caught sight of him, they couldn't have made it away fast enough before he had caught up with them.

They must have known he was coming.

"Oi, Inuyasha. We have to go," Kagura's voice snapped. "Naraku's waiting for us. You know how often he turns to his trusted advisor for advice."

Inuyasha looked back at her. "I'm coming," he responded, ignoring the venom dripping from her voice.

He wouldn't have come over here because he heard a rustle or two. There was something else about it. Something that had drawn him here.

What exactly drawn him here was a mystery to him.

* * *

**"Song of the Caged Bird" is a video by Lindsey Stirling. Go look it up if you want :) **


	3. The Beginning of Her Tale

**Hey, guys, sorry for the long wait! But now I'm here with another chapter!**

**but before we start, I want to ask you guys something. Would you rather have me put 'Sota' or 'Souta'? Respond in your reviews, please!**

**Well, onto the story. I don't own Inuyasha!**

* * *

He wasn't happy.

That much was obvious.

Though his face betrayed nothing, his mind was churning. What could _he_ possibly want? By the way the messenger had acted, it was clear that he was terrified. That was never a good sign. Inuyasha almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

Bare feet padding against the cold floor, Inuyasha was deep in thought. Was there anything he did wrong? The only thing he could think of was the time he had 'accidently' killed one of the soldiers in the army. But he certainly didn't care about one measly soldier, right?

But what about...?

No, it couldn't be about the day he went to the field. That was a month ago. Kagura hadn't shown any interest in telling him about that, nor was it really something that he would care about.

It should be the soldier incident, though that didn't make much sense.

When he reached the large doors that led to the throne room, he stopped and waited. They knew who he was.

It shouldn't be called a throne room, many would say. He wasn't a king, but he might as well have been.

When the doors didn't open right away, he scowled in annoyance. "I've been summoned," he bit out.

That was enough to get them moving.

Without so much as a glance, he walked inside, and the doors slammed shut. At first, it seemed as if the room was empty.

"You're late."

Inuyasha didn't try to even look sorry. "What do you want?"

He smiled, causing Inuyasha to inwardly shudder despite himself. "Do you remember, Inuyasha, when I sent you to kill that annoying snake demon?"

Inuyasha was sure he knew where this was going. "Yes."

He leaned back on his chair (more like a throne) and continued to give Inuyasha that same, eerie smile. "Kagura tells me you wandered off before you returned. Why is that?"

"The demon reeked even more after he died. I wanted to get the stench off of me before I came to report that our mission was a success."

He stood from his throne and walked over to Inuyasha, close enough that he could smell _his _rotten breath. The golden-eyed boy didn't dare flinch.

"Tell me the truth, Inuyasha."

There was no hiding anything from him.

"I thought I heard something," Inuyasha said finally. "No, I know I heard something. I think it was a human, but it was impossible to tell in a field of flowers. By the time I arrived to the source, they were gone."

"Where was it?"

"The border between the Demon Lands and the Human Fields."

He stiffened, before relaxing again. "And how, pray tell, did they escape?"

"When I heard it, no one was in sight. Even if they saw me coming, they still couldn't have escaped. I would have caught up to them."

"Then how did they escape?"

"I...I'm not sure," Inuyasha finally said. His face was blank, and his eyes betraying nothing. "The only way they could have escaped is if they had known I was coming."

"But that's impossible, Inuyasha. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

He drew back and sat back down. "Tomorrow, I want you to start patrolling the border and report any suspicious-looking traveler here. From there, _professionals _will take care of them."

Inuyasha didn't dare ask what he meant by professionals. "Of course." He turned around and walked towards the door. Before his hand could touch the door, his voice spoke up again.

"Stop."

Inuyasha glanced over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"What exactly did you hear?"

Inuyasha paused. "Music. From an instrument," he replied, somewhat hesitant.

"And why was that strange? Why did you go over to the sound of a mortal playing an instrument?"

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't know. But, somehow...it sounded like an instrument. One I haven't heard in fifty years."

For a while, there was a silence.

"Dismissed."

Inuyasha bowed his head. "Of course...Lord Naraku."

* * *

"Come back!"

She ducked behind a nearby hut, sighing in relief as the men ran past it without even looking back. She was putting herself in danger like this, not hiding out in the cave. But she couldn't always escape to the forest.

She smiled with pride. With the bread she collected, it would feed her family for weeks. This was possibly her best haul yet.

"Ka...Kagome..."

In a flash, Kagome turned around and grabbed the person behind her by the arm. She relaxed when she realized it was only Sota.

"You scared me. What is it?"

Sota's eyes were wide. "Is that...that for us?"

Kagome nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yup."

"Wow! We'll have a feast tonight!"

Her smile faded. "It's...it's not all for tonight, Sota."

Her little brother looked up at her. "What're you talking about, Sis?"

Kagome knelt down, so she was eye level with him. She wasn't concerned about the men; they wouldn't find her. But she was concerned about the confused look in Sota's eyes. She hadn't told anyone. Not even her own mother. She couldn't.

"This will last you for several weeks, okay? Make sure that you guys eat it sparingly. I spent hours staking out the baker's cart."

"Where...where are you going?" her brother asked. Kagome had never left them; he thought she wouldn't do that. But now...

She could see the hurt look in his eyes. She knew it all too well; the look of someone who was abandoned, betrayed. She saw it; she knew it.

She felt it.

"I'm not abandoning you," she said firmly. "Mama is right. I can't keep stealing for you guys. Whether it's for a good deed or not, the villagers will catch me, and they will kill me, along with all of you for housing me. I don't want any of you to live under that threat anymore."

"But...what can we do? All the money we have is going to be used to pay a priestess to heal Gramps."

"I'm going to find someplace. A place where I can work, earn money. I will send it to Mama, so she can be able to pay for your meals. Until then, this will last you long enough until I am able to send you money."

"But...what if it doesn't?"

"You know how to pickpocket; you know the basics to coming into a scene unnoitced. It will work better for you, because you're just a little boy. If you run out, only use those as a last resort. Mama will never forgive me for letting you do such a thing."

Sota nodded. "When are you leaving?"

_Now._

"Soon," Kagome said, ignoring the voice.

Her little brother didn't lose that look of sadness. "When will you come back?"

_When I allow you to._

"I...I don't know."

* * *

She was smiling, her eyes closed as her body swayed to the beautiful music. The source of the sound came from the instrument resting on her shoulder.

She was stunning. There was no doubt about that.

Arms wrapped around her. Gasping in surprise, she turned around, before relaxing again.

"It's you," she murmured. "I thought you were out on an assignment."

"It can wait," the one who grabbed her said. His tone was light, almost...giddy. "I heard the music and I came to see you."

"That's sweet," she whispered. She looked over at him and spied one of his long locks. Automatically, her good mood vanished, and she pushed away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"We were supposed to meet tomorrow," she responded, her tone icy. "We agreed to meet only on certain nights. It wouldn't be good if we were seen together as you are now."

"I wanted to see you so bad, though. I tried to resist, but the music kept calling me."

She narrowed her eyes. "I thought you respected my wishes." She backed up slightly. He stepped forward.

"Maybe he does," he purred. His voice changed into another, one that sent chills down her back, despite herself. "But I don't."

She took another step back. "_You._" Hatred crept into her voice.

"Yes," he chuckled. "I was wondering where he was going when I saw him packing. Good thing he was discovered. I'm surprised; you're the first one who nearly turned him against me. I'm impressed."

The figure changed, and the lights darkened, so all she could see was his ugly smirk on his face.

"What did you do to him?"

He clucked his tongue. "I am willing to forgive him...but you...you will not have such a happy ending."

"What did you do to him?" she repeated.

"He will learn his lesson. I promise you that." He took a step closer.

_"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"_

* * *

"Kagome!"

She sat upright, gasping and shaking. A cold sweat ran down her face, her face was wet. She was surprised. She hadn't cried in a long time.

"Mama?" Kagome croaked. Her mother scurried to her side, holding her daughter's head in her lap.

"It's okay," her mother whispered. "You're fine. It was a bad dream. Just a bad dream. We're here now. There's no need to be scared.

_**Why? Why must you keep sending me these dreams? **_

There was no answer from the voice. Instead, she got her mother's comforting whispers.

"I'm fine, Mama," Kagome muttered. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Are you sure?" her mother asked quietly. "You haven't cried this hard since you were Sota's age..."

"I'm positive," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."

Her mother nodded, giving her daughter a peck on her forehead before she stood and left. Once Kagome was sure she was out of earshot, she stood, glaring at a shard of glass that showed her reflection.

"Making Mama worry like that...what do you want? Why did you show me that?"

_I show you what is necessary, _it replied. _Begin to prepare. You leave in two days at midnight._


	4. Never Look Back

**Third chapter! Sorry it's so late!**

**I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Two days at midnight...

Kagome looked mournfully around her room. It was never the best; an old room in a rundown shrine. But it had housed her family for years, where they ate, where she and Sota played when they were children.

It was home.

Kagome stood up, kicking at the ground. Two days at midnight...

She would leave tonight.

She had been collecting as much as she could; more often than usual. Shopkeepers were extra wary, seeing an increase in her robberies. She was fast, and they couldn't catch her. The closest they ever came to catching her was five years ago...

Pushing the thought out of her mind, she walked out of the room and into the ruined hallway. It was silent, except for a rather loud snore. Biting her lip, she forced herself to move forward and open the door to another room. Inside, there was a tattered mattress with an old man lying on it. He was breathing, but to her, it seemed so shallow, so fragile that it could stop at any moment. She bit her lip, before stepping forward.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather," she whispered quietly. "I wish I could stay. But the longer I wait, the less time you have...I need to do this. For us. Mama and Sota will take care of you, okay?"

He didn't answer.

"Tell them I'm sorry."

She glanced outside a square-shaped hole that might have once been a window. The moon was beginning to rise.

Kagome stood up and turned around, preparing to leave the room. Before she could take a step, though, there was a ragged breath.

"Kagome..." her grandfather whispered hoarsely.

She stopped, staring at the door that was in her reach.

"...good luck."

She nodded once, then opened the door and stepped out, shutting the door. She refused to check on the rest of her family; she didn't really believe that she would be able to leave if she had to look at their faces.

* * *

The moon was in the sky, bright enough to light her way. Kagome moved forward silently, pulling her tattered cloak closer to her. Blowing her hands in order to keep them warm, she glanced at her surroundings, making sure that no one was around.

"Just great," she muttered. "It's always midnight. Why can't I ever leave around dawn, or even dusk? It always has to be dark and cold."

There was no answer. She never expected one. It never answered her when she wanted it to.

Letting out a sigh, Kagome made her way to the cave where she kept the case hidden. Once there, she could lay there and wait in case someone was around. It wouldn't be safe to continue out so close to the village.

The cave was colder than it was outside. Still, she knew she had to stay for a while, if not for a few minutes. Even so, stepping inside of the cave was a relief to her. She didn't know why, but somehow, it always protected her from the villagers. No one could see it, no one could enter it; nobody but her.

Going to the back of the cave, she groped through the darkness, before finding a smooth surface along the jagged rocks. Gripping it, she picked it up and pulled it to her. Maybe she should open it...play the smallest, shortest tune...something beautiful that would ring through the night...

She reached for the latch on the case, intending to open it. The thought of playing it was relaxing, soothing...

_Stop._

Against her will, she did, her hand inches away.

_He comes, _it murmured in her mind. _Do not play. Do not speak._

Kagome straightened up nervously, moving towards the mouth of the cave. "He..." she muttered. Who was 'he'?

The sound of dry leaves and twigs being stepped on shot through the air. She stepped back, biting her tongue to keep from making a sound. Straining her ears, she heard the sound of panting. Whoever it was, he was being chased. Something surged through Kagome, and she stepped forward again, hand outstretched, meaning to help him.

_No._

She stopped before her fingers could pass through the mouth of the cave. _**I have to help him! Whatever is chasing him...he won't live if it catches him.**_

_It is not your place to help him. It's not time..._

She withdrew her hand, staring helplessly as the person, a man, appeared, clearly tired but terrified, a feeling that she knew all too well. She looked on with pity as she watched the man trip and fall onto the forest floor. Did he even know that there was a village not too far away?

Almost at once, whoever was chasing him appeared; it had the figure of a human, but it was too fast.

_**Demon, ** _she thought. She backed away into the safety of the cave, not even daring to breathe.

"Don't kill me," gasped the man.

The demon didn't answer, just brought his hand towards the man's throat. Kagome realized that a cloud must have passed over the moon, causing darkness to fall over the forest.

She was glad that she couldn't see. Even so, she turned her gaze as the demon tore at the man's throat.

Once the sound of the gurgling stopped, she turned back again. The demon stood there, staring down at the now-dead body of the man. It let out some kind of scoff, before turning around and preparing to leave.

Kagome took a small breath. It stopped, looking around the area. She cursed herself, not daring to move. The demon sniffed the air, trying to look for another scent. Even in the darkness, Kagome could tell it was trying not to recoil in disgust by the stench of death, which was no doubt invading its sensitive nose.

Letting another scoff, it turned around again and leapt away, jumping away several feet. It continued doing that, until it was finally out of sight. It never looked back.

_Fool, _it murmured in her mind.

"That doesn't help me," Kagome muttered angrily, positive that the demon wouldn't hear her now. She moved back into the cave, grabbing the case again and hugging it to her chest. The voice didn't respond. Glowering, Kagome shuffled towards the mouth of the cave. If she was right, the demon was long gone by now, so she was probably in no danger. If she were, it would tell her. It always did.

_Leave, _it whispered. _Now. He won't find you. It isn't time..._

She didn't know what it was talking about. Usually, she never did.

Kagome clutched the case tighter and stepped out of the cave, glancing once at the shadowed body of the dead man.

"I'm sorry," she muttered quietly, remorse lacing her voice. "I really am."

She turned around and headed in the same direction that the demon had taken. Just like it, she didn't look back. She knew she never could.


End file.
